Chapter Nine #2
“Sully doesn’t live very far from Red in California. It would be nice to have a friend there.” Thalia’s green eyes sparkled as she stood.
Jane’s throat tightened as she recognized how badly she wanted this woman as a friend.
She wanted to get to know Vivienne, too.
Spend more time seeing where things could go with Sully.
“I don’t know what my next steps are, but no matter what happens, I would love to stay in touch with you.
Does Vivienne live in California with Iron? ”
“Iron owns a business in Virginia Beach, but they are looking for a vacation home in Coronado where we are. It’s just off the coast of San Diego.”
Jane followed Thalia’s lead and stood. They were walking out of the courtyard and rounding a corner when something slammed into her.
The bag Jane was carrying fell to the ground, its contents scattering all over the sidewalk.
Thalia gripped her arm to keep her from toppling over with it.
When Jane got her footing, she looked up to find Bentley staring at them.
“Shit. I’m sorry.” He threw his hands up in frustration.
“Let me pick this stuff up.” Jane quickly dropped into a crouch just in time to stop a ChapStick from rolling off the curb.
Sully’s brother watched her with a fevered stare that made the tiny hairs on the back of her neck prickle.
Thalia kneeled beside her and began collecting items.
With everything thrown back into her bag, Jane pushed to her feet, not liking the vulnerability of being on the ground in front of Bentley. “I didn’t realize you were still in Maryland. I haven’t seen you since—”
“You accused me of messing with my brother’s monitor?” His face twisted into a snarl. “Yeah, I haven’t exactly felt welcome, but I’ve been around.” His body was tense as though he was going to lunge toward her, but she held her ground.
She wouldn’t apologize for being protective of Sully.
Something had happened in that room. She’d stake her life on it.
Many nights before she fell into a fitful sleep she thought about Bentley’s reaction in the waiting room.
His first thought had been to go on the defensive, not inquire about Sully’s well-being.
She wasn’t sure if she’d ever find out exactly what happened, but her gut was screaming at her not to trust this man.
“He’s awake now.” There was an edge of challenge in her voice that surprised even her.
A flash of fear struck his face, but the expression was gone just as rapidly as it had come.
“I’ll have to pay him a visit.” He shoved his hands into his pockets. “That is, if the gatekeeper approves.” The words were muttered through a clenched jaw, but she heard the warning in his voice loud and clear.
“Is that Sully’s brother?” Thalia asked, wrinkling her brow.
“Unfortunately,” she muttered, as they made their way back into the hospital.
“There’s something about him.” Thalia took her hand again, and they both walked a bit faster. “He’s not safe.” Thalia voicing her concerns helped her feel not quite as paranoid.
Jane’s palm met the sun-heated handle of the hospital door and instantly felt more grounded.
There was safety in numbers, and the hospital was teeming with people.
Not that she expected Bentley to harm her, but he sure did give her the creeps.
The warmth of the summer day was replaced by chilled, stagnant hospital air.
A shiver seeped into her skin, but she couldn’t be sure if that was the encounter with Bentley or the temperature-controlled space.
Hospital staff shuffled through the hallways, weaving between patients and their families to get to their destinations.
The space seemed more crowded than when they left.
It must be a popular visiting time. They strode through the labyrinth of hallways until they reached the elevator that would bring them back to the ICU.
A static buzz was audible right before an announcement started on the overhead paging system. “Security assist requested on the second floor, D-wing. Again, security request to the second floor, D-wing.”
Thalia tipped her head toward the PA system above their heads. “I wonder what’s going on,” she mused, glancing around.
“Me too, but hospitals tend to get a lot of use out of their announcement systems. You might have a domestic dispute or an upset patient harassing a member of the staff. There could be some kind of threat or just the need for coverage in that area of the hospital.”
A custodian passed them, using a dry mop to shine the floors. He paused nearby and glanced up. “I’d be cautious, ladies. Someone just broke into the upstairs pharmacy and could still be on campus.”
“Thank you,” Thalia said in a low voice as the custodian continued down the corridor, smoothly pushing the mop.
Jane pressed the elevator call button and watched the floor numbers on the digital display quickly count down as the car descended toward them.
The overhead paging continued as they took the elevator to the ICU.
The nurse behind the desk offered them a tight smile and buzzed them into the hallway leading to the patients’ rooms.
When they entered, Jane immediately sought Sully’s gaze.
He was propped upright and when his eyes landed on hers, a slow smile spread over his face.
One that was meant for her and her alone.
The expression saturated her with warmth, like the sun beaming down.
Her breath caught in her throat. What would it be like to belong to this man? For him to be hers in return?
“How was your walk?” Red pulled Thalia into his side and planted a kiss on her cheek.
“We saw Sully’s brother. He nearly knocked Jane off the sidewalk.”
Sully’s expression clouded as he looked up at her. “Everything okay?”
“Yeah.” She didn’t want to worry Sully right now. Not when he’d just woken up and didn’t even recall his brother’s visit and the events that followed. “He was in a hurry and didn’t see us.”
Sully’s hand closed gently on her arm. The simple touch sent a current of electricity coursing through her.
“Has Bentley given you a hard time?” She met his eyes, then blinked.
The expression on his face was downright scary, but not in the same way as Bentley’s.
She wasn’t afraid of Sully. Never of him.
The gold flecks in his eyes seemed to sharpen, seeking answers.
“Tell him,” Red said. “Now that he’s conscious, he should know about your suspicions.”
Sully was quiet as he watched her, waiting for her to speak.
“I don’t think now is the best time,” she bit out, not wanting any stressors placed on Sully while he was healing.
“Jane.” Sully’s voice was rough, and a tingle that had nothing to do with fear swept over her skin.
Goose bumps popped up on her legs and arms, and the tips of her breasts tightened beneath her shirt.
Warmth spread over her cheeks, and she cleared her throat before she dared to meet his gaze again. “Please, let me know what happened.”
She sighed and knew trying to keep this from Sully would be a losing battle.
She absently licked her lips, nervous energy buzzing around her.
“The first week we were here, the hospital staff was only letting one person into the room at a time. After Bentley visited with you, I found the machine monitoring your vital signs unplugged. You were in respiratory distress. The monitor would’ve alerted the nurses that something was wrong. ”
“And you think he did something?” His expression was unreadable, but he took her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze, just like he had on the boat.
“I…” She gripped his hand in return, afraid that whatever she said would be met with denial or hostility. “He’s your brother.”
“Doesn’t matter. I want to know what you think.”
“I’m not sure what happened, but your father said the monitor was working fine when he was in the room right before Bentley.
I confirmed with the hospital staff that no one entered or exited your room during that timeframe, and I didn’t like Bentley’s reaction when I confronted him in the waiting room. ”
“You confronted him?” His voice was so low, she almost missed the words.
“Red’s already given me an earful about that.
” Jane crossed her arms, losing the touch of Sully’s hand.
She immediately missed the warmth and connection of the contact.
“That was the last time he’s been in the hospital that I’m aware of.
I should let you know before your parents return that I’ve refused to let anyone visit unless me or Red are in the room, too. They probably don’t care for me much.”
“Bullshit.” Sully gave his head a sharp shake then chuckled. “Red, let the nurses’ station know to remove my brother from the visitor list.”
“Will do. Thalia and I are going to head out.” Red crossed the room and gave Sully a hug, then turned to her and did the same.
It was still hard to believe how fast he and Thalia had welcomed her into the fold.
A total freaking stranger. Red angled his chin toward Sully.
“I’ll make them aware as we’re leaving. I reached out to Jude.
Some of his contacts are looking into Bentley’s recent activities. ”
“Thanks, man. Appreciate it. Night, Thalia.”
They both said goodbye, and the door closed with a soft click as they exited.
She stood there for a long moment, unsure of what to say now that she’d basically accused Sully’s brother of trying to hinder his progress.
She still couldn’t wrap her head around why Bentley would intentionally try to hurt his brother.
Maybe it had been an accident. If so, the man had every reason to hate her for driving a wedge between him and his brother.
“Hey.” Sully reached up and his large palm spanned gently over her arm. “I trust your instincts. Don’t question your gut.”
“What if I’m wrong? He’s your brother. I’m just some woman you rescued.”
“Come here.” He gave her arm a small tug, but she couldn’t seem to get her feet to move. “Please?” His lips curved and his eyes went soft.
“I bet you’re used to flashing that grin and getting anything and everything you want.” She rolled her eyes and laughed.
“Is it working? I’d love to have you close. To put my arm around you.”
“You want me to get in there? With you? We’ll break the bed.”
A low chuckle left his throat. “It’s not our bed.”
The man in front of her had a long way to recovery, but hearing the words “our bed” from his mouth had a shock of heat flashing through her. She swallowed hard and tried to will away the blush rising on her face.
“When being in this hospital starts to really suck or when physical therapy turns me into a grouchy asshat, I’m going to think of that expression that just crossed your face, because whatever thought you just had, I want in on it.
I have a feeling I’ll have to be in tip-top shape for whatever idea made your cheeks go pink just now. ”
Heat crept up to her ears and she found herself rounding the bed, lowering the rail, and crawling on the mattress beside him. It was a tight fit and not comfortable in the least, but when his arm came around her and she melted against him, she didn’t want to move. Ever.